1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention generally relates to the technical study contracting process (TSCP) and in particular to a technique for specifying the parameters of a complex technical study by creating and using a decision tree.
2. Description of Related Art.
Traditional techniques for establishing the design of a technical study and the business and scientific terms and conditions under which a provider of technical services will offer to provide such services to a person or entity in need of such services involves the exchange of study design specifications between a sponsor and a limited number of vendors.
The technical study contracting process (TSCP) involves both a sponsor and a vendor. As used herein, a sponsor is a buyer of services who submits a request for quote (RFQ) to a vendor who is a seller of services, and a vendor offers its services to a sponsor by responding to the RFQ.
The number of vendors solicited for RFQ""s is frequently limited because sponsors tend to request estimates for study costs by approaching one vendor at a time and have no system to facilitate solicitation. Approaching vendors in this manner often leads to inconsistent study descriptions and wide variations in pricing responses to the RFQ from the vendors. To avoid this problem, some sponsors hire consultants to obtain cost estimates from vendors. Consultants may also be hired to provide cost estimates based upon the consultant""s opinion and experience. Many consultants, however, obtain information from a small number of vendors - vendors whom the consultants have worked with in the past. This limited number of vendors hinders the competitive bidding process, and sometimes leads to a sponsor""s dissatisfaction with the technical study results.
Obtaining pricing is only one of the activities involved in the technical study contracting process (TSCP). Other activities include specifying the parameters of the study, evaluating potential vendors after bids are received, and communication between the sponsor and the vendor after the vendor is selected. Specifying the parameters of a study, involves providing sufficient detail to allow a vendor to accurately estimate cost. In particular, a sponsor must identify each study parameter that affects the cost of the study. This step is difficult because a sponsor may lack information about the identity of cost drivers, hence, the sponsor may inaccurately specify the parameters. An inaccurate specification will most likely result in an inaccurate cost estimate.
Further, the current system of specifying parameters is not standardized. Each sponsor has their own system for specifying parameters. Some of the systems are less complete than others. As a result, vendors must learn to cope with variations in the specification completeness, as well as, variations in the specification layout and specification description. To clarify any ambiguities, the sponsors and vendors tend to exchange telephone calls and facsimiles. This lack of standardization is both cumbersome and time consuming.
Another activity involved in the technical study contracting process (TSCP) involves evaluating the performance capability and quality of the vendor. Many sponsors experience difficulty when attempting to evaluate a potential vendor""s past performance because many key aspects of the vendors performance are not rated by an authoritative body. Sometimes sponsors obtain information about a vendor""s performance from consultants. Most consultants, however, may only have limited vendor information on a limited number of vendors.
With respect to communication during the execution of the study, both sponsors and vendors tend to experience significant difficulty. Frequently, sponsors and vendors communicate with each other via telephone, facsimile, and e-mail. Missed telephone calls, unopened e-mails, and delayed facsimiles result in technical study delays. For example, a study may be delayed when a vendor misses a telephone call concerning the administration of the study. Similarly, studies are often delayed when a sponsor misses a call concerning a response to an unexpected event or observations.
Some conventional services have attempted to provide assistance to sponsors and vendors. For example, ToxPrices.com (at http://www.toxprices.com) assists sponsors in preparing a budget for a toxicology technical study. Another service, inceutica.com (at http://www.inceutica.com) assists market participants with the bidding process.
Regarding ToxPrices.com, this service allows a sponsor to estimate service price comparison with the prices of past toxicology studies at a single vendor. These prices are stored in the ToxPrices.com database. ToxPrices.com, however, disadvantageously lacks significant capabilities regarding other complex technical study activities, such as the complete specification of parameters, negotiating the bid or managing the study. Further, ToxPrices.com is only useful for toxicology studies, and not for other specialized studies. With respect to the prices of past toxicology studies, ToxPrices.com only uses data from one vendor, instead of using data from a multiple and diverse pool of vendors.
Concerning inceutica.com, this service allows pharmaceutical firms to place request for quotes (RFQs) on the site, and allows clinical research organizations (CRO) to place bids for that work. Inceutica.com, however, disadvantageously lacks any means to develop or specify study parameters, selective filtering methodologies to direct RFQs to appropriate vendors, methods and systems to manage studies or methods and practices for evaluating the performance capability and quality of the vendor.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved technique for conducting the technical study contracting process (TSCP).
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for specifying the design and execution related parameters of a technical study by creating and using a decision tree.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a decision tree is created that has interdependent decision nodes. One or more decision choices is associated with each interdependent decision nodes. The interdependent decision nodes are ordered in a hierarchical manner such that a selection of one of the decision choices dynamically and functionally determines the manner in which a subsequent decision choice is affected. This embodiment of the present invention has utility for objectively defining study parameters and thereby substantially stream lining the design specification process for complex technical studies.